16 June2010 8ak: Britainâ€™s senior most serving military commander, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup has been axed before his term was to end in April next year. The Sun reports that the decision, which is expected to have far reaching political consequences, was announced by Defence Secretary Liam Fox on Sunday. Sacking of Sir Stirrup has not surprised the security experts, as his performance in Afghanistan was seen as far from satisfactory and was dogged by the failure to provide the requisite equipment to the British troops in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Chinese news agency Xinhua reports the British Defence Secretary denying charges that Sir Stirrup had been sacked. According to the news report, Liam has said that the services' professional head, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, had not been sacked, but he would be replaced early, leaving his post in the autumn some months earlier than his retirement in the spring of next year.

Current Army head General Sir David Richards or vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton are favourites for the top job. The Ministry of Defence's top civil servant Sir Bill Jeffrey will also get the elbow. The Mirror reports that the Chief has been made a scapegoat and criticized the new government of politicizing the armed forces.